Are we going to have fuels shortages soon? . Tanker drivers have voted for strike action.

Statement from Unite:

Quote:

"Tanker drivers work in an increasingly fragmented and pressurised industry, where corners are being cut on safety and training in a bid to squeeze profits and win contracts. "Drivers face growing job insecurity as a result of the contract 'merry-go-round' and a 'beat the clock' culture has flourished, with drivers forced to meet ever shorter delivery deadlines. "

FFS, welcome to the real world, and get on with your fkin jobs like the rest of us. Adapt, compete and survive. Wankars.

If these companies dont want to move with the times, then they will be left behind.
These drivers are paid reasonably well for the job they do. And to hold the country to ransom because their jobs might be a bit harder is not right.
The average working man has it hard enough as it is, we dont need this union making it even harder.

Sounds like they've been talking to Bob Crow. There are talks of tube strikes during the Olympics with Bob Crow mentioning unsafe practices and that they'd be failing the public. However, the sticking point seems to be the additional ÂŁ850 bonus isn't high enough. Not sure how a bigger bonus will make things safer but I'm sure there's logic there somewhere.

Tanker, car transporter and gas product drivers have always been the top paid in the transport industry with conditions to match..............no complaints about that if they recognise how well off they are.

If its so unsafe I want them to withdraw their labour immediately. I do not want to be travelling on roads with deadly tanker practices going on. I can see no argument for waiting until easter at all. The safety of myself, my family and every other road user has to be paramount.

As they seem quite content to wait until some publicly inconvenient time (whilst getting a few extra days over easter themselves?) I do have to question just how seriously they are viewing these dangerous practices!

"A truthâ€™s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. It wasnâ€™t the world being round that agitated people, but that the world wasnâ€™t flat. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."

Maybe the police should just stop one or two of these tankers and check their tachos, I assume they have them and they're obliged to obey the regs like everyone else. If there is a 'beat the clock culture' surely it shows up in the cab ?

Or just pay them more BC as it seems more money in the wage packet equals safety

"A truthâ€™s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. It wasnâ€™t the world being round that agitated people, but that the world wasnâ€™t flat. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."

Brian Madderson, the petrol chairman of the Retail Motor Industry Federation, told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "This Government appears to be intent on creating a crisis out of a serious concern.

"We would have told them - had we been engaged with them - that there are now 6,000 fewer forecourts than there were at the time of the fuel blockade in 2000, and over and above that, our retailers are struggling financially. Volumes are down, margins are down and cashflow is very tight so they have probably got the lowest stock levels in their tanks underground at forecourts that they have ever had.

"We weren't given the opportunity to put that information across to the Government so when we hear today that the Government are trying to encourage stockpiling, we think that's just completely wrong.

"Yesterday we polled a good proportion of our members right across the UK and petrol was 45% up compared to a normal Tuesday and diesel was 20% up. That suggests that fleet car operators, company cars and vans and businesses are not rushing to panic-buy, but certainly petrol - the main private motorists' fuel - was above a normal level.

Stupid thing is why are people panic buying now? By the time the strikes are due to happen I bet most will need to fill up again anyway.
Also I thought putting anymore than a cpl of litres in a jerry can was illegal

Most house insurance policies will be invalidated if people are storing fuel as you're only usually covered for a small amount for things like petrol mowers etc.
The govt have now retraced their advice, shock horror!

This 'panic buying'. If there's a potential shortage of any commodity people tend to stock up on it. What's 'panicky' about that ? Sounds perfectly normal and sensible to me. In fact you'd be bloody stupid not to keep your tank well filled and a spare can in your garage.

No strike has been called and IF they do they have to give 7 days notice - so we are at least a week away from no deliveries anyway.

I've enough now to get me home and if I can't fill up tonight due to idiots then I can't work tomorrow.

"A truthâ€™s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. It wasnâ€™t the world being round that agitated people, but that the world wasnâ€™t flat. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."

Filled up at the station in Kelbrook on way home, no panic there so far. Cost me more but decided better than rising getting home to find the sheep and headless chickens had emptied all the garages.

Like I say BC, not one of them won't have to fill up again a few times before any strike, that may or may not happen. A tank lasts me 4 days so I'll need to fill up, probably twice at least, before there is even the chance of the strike. These people are morons but hey it's worked for the government, nobody is talking about the budget or how their party has been selling acces to public policy.

"A truthâ€™s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. It wasnâ€™t the world being round that agitated people, but that the world wasnâ€™t flat. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."

Longsiders1882 These people are morons but hey it's worked for the government, nobody is talking about the budget or how their party has been selling acces to public policy.

Maybe for the moment Longsiders but the Granny tax hasn't gone away, the two Eds, the BBC and the Guardian will see to that. I wouldn't worry, if the Cameroons and George think this has got them off the hook, they're very much mistaken. And the corruption stories will never go away, it's a way of life with the political classes and try as they might they just can't stop it, it's just what they do.

Who wants these tossere on Ł45000 a year to drive things that are potentialy leathal to hold our country to ransome in such difficult times, lets alter the rules & ask all future tanker drivers to take an I.Q. test. How thick can you be when on restricted hour on that sort of money that they can even think about it..If all the drivers of today had to take such a basic test to see wether they had common sense or could percieve potential problems how many would even be allowed to drive at all?????

How Cameron doesn't take more flak is beyond me.
Brooks, Coulson, the women from the work experience scheme and this idiot selling tea parties all involved with him.
Still, he loves his pasties though so its ok.

my local petrol station has put prices up 3p a litre for unleaded and 2p a litre for diesel this week alone, it's now ÂŁ1.44.9 for unleaded
Asda 2 miles down the road is selling unleaded for ÂŁ137.9 a litre, and has no queues

The dispute is a private matter between the union and employers - sod all to do with Labour, Conservative or anybody else.

All the government have managed to do is create a crisis where there wasn't even a drama.

As an aside, did anybody see the libdem on QT last night, Sarah Teather (or something). Talk about out of your depth, did herself and party no favours at all.

"A truthâ€™s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. It wasnâ€™t the world being round that agitated people, but that the world wasnâ€™t flat. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."

"The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves."

Made herself look foolish when someone joked about setting houses on fire if the fire brigade went on strike.
The best bit of the programme was the bloke demanding that Labour tell them not to strike. He had the biggest ears I've ever seen and obviously no idea about democracy.

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